Stage lift flowing device



Oct. 25, 1932. BOYNTQN 1,884,549

STAGE LIFT FLOWING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19 1927 INVENTOR Aierander B yn nATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER IBOYNTON, OF SANANTONIO, TEXAS STAGE LIFT FLOWIING DEVICE Application filed October 19,1927. Serial No. 227,801.

An object of this invention is to provide flowing" apparatus for theliquid in a well that will not flow of its own accord, the introductionof the motive fluid," whether that be compressed gas or air, beinggoverned by a valve device which constitutes the particular inventionherein disclosed, and which is an improvementon an application forpatent,

filed May 17, 1927, Serial Number 192,049, particular reference beingmade to Figures 13, 14, and 19 of that application, attention beingdirected also to Patent 1,806,872, May 26 1931, of Alexander Boynton.

lteference is made to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of the valve devicesconstructed to suit the purposes of what is later identified as thetubing method,

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the adaptation of the valve deviceto what is later known as the casing method,

Fig. 3 is a detail cross section on the line ,33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the throttle bushing,

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the improved plunger used with eachof the foregoing forms of the valve device.

It is fundamental in this, as well as all preceding and subsequentapplications concerning the elevation or propulsion of liquid from awell, which-liquid cannot flow of its own accord or does not flow at thedesired rate, that the volume of the motive fluid is diminished as thedifferential increases. The differential function is peculiar to thevalve device, but the function of the valve device does not end with theautomatic diminution of the stream of motive fluid, for, conversely, asthedifferential decreases, the valve device drops back to againadmitmotive fluid thus applying a fresh impulse to the wavering liquidcolumn and keeping the latter in the desired motion. The termdifferential cham there is a plurality of tubings coupled by similarvalve bodies 2. The tubing string is situated in the well casing 3 inwhich itis suspended from a casing-head at thetop (not shown). Provisionis made at the bottom for an appropriate liquid intake nipple (notshown).

A lateral enlargement 4 provides the necessary material in which theplunger and spring chambers 5 and'6 are formed. These ers are connectedby a reduced bore 26, the merging point of which with the plungerchamber 5 is beveled at 7 to form the upper seat for what is commonlyknownand identified as a difi'erential plunger (Fig. 5).

- A horizontal discharge port 9 aflords communication between thereduced bore 26 and the conduit 10 of the valve body 2 (Fig. 1). It maybe observed, in passing, that the internal diameter of the conduit isthe same as the internal diameter of the tubing sections 1, the resultbeing a uniform and perfectly alining passageway for the liquid to beelevated. The bore 11 of the hollow plug 12 which is screwed into thelower threaded entremity of the chamber 5 afiords a lower seat for thedifferential plunger 8. A plug is screwed into the threaded upperextremity of the chamber 6, and is capable of'adjustment in order tovary the tension of the spring 14. The function of the latter is totend, to keep the differential plunger in proximity of the lower seatwithout engaging the same. The plug 13 in practice has a screwdriverslot by which the foregoing adjustment is easily made.

Fixed in the plunger chamber 5.is a relatively thin. sleeve .15 hereinknown as the throttle bushing. This bushing ordinarily is ressed inposition within the chamber 5. It is noted that the bushing has a numberof small peripheral grooves 16 (Fig. 4). These are designed for thepurpose of retaining litharge or some other similar substance into whichthe bushing is dipped prior to introduction into the chamber 5. Theslight accumulations of litharge, or the like, aid in holding thethrottle bushing in permanent position. While pressing the throttlebushing in place the contraction will sometimes cause the internaldiameter of the bushing to become reduced, and inasmuch as this diameteris extremely important, down to onethousandth of an inch, a reamer isrun through the bushing after the latter is in final osition in orderthat the exact gauge may e obtained.

It may be explained, in passing, that the provision of the throttlebushing by virtue of the introduction of an independent sleeve is notnecessarily adhered to, for, in practice, the more expensive andprobably more inconvenient mode of reaming out the chamber 5 above andbelow the respective ends of what is herein known as the bushing, may beresorted to. The use of the bushing is regarded as preferable, for thepresent at least, because of the relative simplicity of the mode ofintroduction. I

A special construction of the differential plunger 8 results in what isherein regarded as a new effect in the control of the motive fluid,(compressed air or gas). In construction the plunger comprises a head 17the up. per edge of which is beveled at 18 to co-act with the upper seat7. Succeeding the head 17 is the straight and reduced section or neck 19which joins the tapered or outwardly arced body of the plunger. Thetaper is indicated at 20 and is outwardly rounded or convex in nature,the radius of the are being relatively long. I

The tapered body merges with a lower straight section 21, this in turn,being rounded oil at 22 to constitutea lower head which is engageablewith the lower seat at the bore 11. 'A central recess 23 receives theaxial end 24 of the spring 14. This recess is drilled to such depththatthe distance from the bottom of the recess to the bottom of .the

' plunger is less than one-half the diameter of the plunger. {Thepurpose of so drilling the recess is toavoid what might aptly be termeda knee-action which would result between the plunger and the lowerprojection of the spring should'the contact between the two be at apoint abovethe bottom of the plunger a distance greaterthan one-half thediameter. of the plunger. This contact between spring and plunger whenat a point as indicated, causes the by-passing pressure fluid to holdthe plunger perfectly central in its chamber.

The operation is readily understood. The action of this, as well as allpreceding and succeeding flowing devices of the nature now proposed,depends on what is known as the pressure differential upon opposite endsof the plunger 8, in other words, inside and out-- side of the valveapparatus. A full understanding of the meaning of this term is to begained by consultation of application No. 1, Serial No. 181,144, but fora brief understanding, is described as follows:

The reader may regard the liquid between the tubing string 1 and thecasing 3, as standing ata common level, and then assume the applicationof motive fluid to the casing liquid. The introduction of said motivefluid into the casing will raise a column of the liquid within thetubing string. The pressure of the motive fluid against the lower end ofthe plunger 8 is considered as constant, but the back pressure upon theupper head 17 of the plunger, by virtue of the rising liquid levelwithin the tubing string, is variable.

Consider the condition of superior motive fluid pressure against thelower head 22 with the result of a lifting of the differential plungerand an introduction of said fluid into the liquid column. Thegasification of the liquid column lightens the liquid and produces anupward movement. A stage will he arrived at where the weight of theliquid column above the plunger and the back pressure thereof againstthe upper head 17 will closely approximate the fluid pressure againstthe lower head of the plunger.

This condition can be visualized by considering a fluid pressure of-250lbs. and a liquid back pressure of 240 lbs. resulting in a differentialof 10 lbs. (neglecting the weight of the differential plunger). This lowdifferential indicates a slow movement of the liquid column, thecombined back pressure of the liquid upon the head 17 and the pressureof the spring 14 serving to urge the plunger away from seatingengagement from the upper seat 7, permitting a fresh impulse of prestapering'plunger body 20 into the throttle bushing 15.

The taper 20 of the plunger bodyrostricts the volume of by-passingpressure fluid as theincreasing differential causes the plunger 8 torise and compress the spring. It is essential that the foregoing taper20 must act faster than the increasing pressure, that is pressure fluidis admitted at a low diflerential, as explained before, at which timethe plunger is at what might be described as an unseated position bothin respect to the seat 7 and the throttle bushing 15, and a completeseal-ofl' is obtained at a high pressure differ ential when the upperhead 17 is held against the seat 7 by the superior fluid pressure in thecasing 3.

The differential at which the plunger 8 will seal-oil against the seat 7is determined by the tension of the spring 14, and as .alread explained,the tension of. the latter is regu ated by the adjustable plug 13.Ohviously, to decrease the sealing-01f differential the plug 13 must beunscrewed, wherea to increase the sealing-off difi'erential the plug 13must be screwed downward. I

It is not desired that the spring action should ever force the bottom ofthe plunger 8 in contact with its seat in the top of the plug 12. Thereis always provided a certain amount oi free movement of the plungerbetween the bottom end of the spring projection and the top of plug 12.This free movement is provided in order that a very slight differentialwill lift the plunger and provide the greatest by-passing area betweenthe plunger and the throttle bushing 15, thereby to admit the largestvolume of motive fluid needed at this time when the diflerential isslight, and the upward movement of the liquid column slow.

Mention has been made of the fact that the so-called taper 20 is ofoutwardly arced or convex formation. It is this outward arcing of theplunger that provides the control means for regulating the admission ofbypassing motive fluid in such manner as to provide for the greatestimpulse of applied energy and lowest differential, and the graduallydiminishing volume of applied energy as the diflerential increases tothe point where the upper plunger end or seat 18 seals-off. Thissealing-oil occurs at a time when the highest liquid velocity occurs inthe tubing string due to the then existing differential.

All of the foregoing description concerns the modification in Fig. 1which is according to what is known as the tubing method. This isnothing more than the application of motive fluid pressure to the liquidin the well casing 3 resulting in adischarge of the liquid from thetubing strings 1. Figure 2 discloses a slight modification for theelevation of the liquid by what is to be known as the casing method, theliquid bein elevated from the well casing by application of fluidpressure thereto through the tubing string.

The horizontal part 9 afiords communication between the reduced bore 26and the well casing (rather than with the conduit 10,

as in Fig. ll while the intake bore 25 afl'ords communication betweenthe conduit 10 and the valve chamber 5 rather than with the well casing,as in Fig; 1. .The reader will readily see that fluid pressure withinthe tubing string will have the same eflectupon liquid in the wellcasing as resulted from the application of fluid pressure from the wellcasing upon liquid in the tubing string. The principal elements areidentical, and similar reference numerals are used to identify themwithout a repetition of the description.

1. A valve for well flowing apparatus comprising a body having a passagewith a seat adjoining each end, a constriction intermediate the seats,and a plunger operable in the passage having a neck extending throughthe constriction with a tapering body co-acting with one part of theconstriction, and heads at the extremities of the plunger co-acting withthe adjoining seats to closethe passage at the extremities of high andlow pressure differentials at one side of the valve body.

2. A valve comprising a body having a passage with a seat adjoining eachend, a sleeve situated inthe passage defining a constriction, a plunger*movably located in the passage and sleeve having a tapering bodyco-acting with one edge of the sleeve, and a neck extending past theopposite edge of the sleeve, and heads at the extremities of the plungerto co-act with the adjoining seats.

3. A valve comprising a body having a passage with a seat adjoining eachend, means situated in the passage defining a constriction, and aplunger operable in the passage comprising a neck and an arced formationextending in opposite directions from a point within the constrictionwhen the plunger is in its lowermost position, a straight-sided sectionat the terminus of the arced forma-.

tion, and heads surmounting said section and neck for co-action with therespective seats. 4. A valve comprising a body having fluid and springchambers connected by a bore which has a port, means defining aconstriction in the fluid chamber, a plunger which is operable in thefluid chamber and through the constriction, the plunger being of aformation to progressively vary thevolumeof fluid flowing through theconstriction as the plunger moves in either direction, said plungerhaving a central recess, and a spring situated in the spring chamber,having an'end passing through the bore and into the recess tending toresist movement of the plunger in one direction.

5. A valve comprising a body having a bore with a port and spring andfluid chamchamber having seats at' opposite ends, a

plunger operable in the fluid chamber, having heads at opposite ends toco-act with the 1 seats and having a central recess extending to a depthsuch that the distance from the bottom of the recess to the end of anadjoining head is less than one-half the diameter of the plunger, and aspring situated in the spring chamber having an axial end extending intothe recess, keeping the plunger central in its chamber and tending toresist movement of the plunger in one direction under the influence offluid pressure.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON.

